On October 28, 2024, Indonesia officially amended its existing Patent Law when the president ratified Law Number 65 of 2024. This comprehensive update—the third such amendment in the history of Indonesia’s Patent Law—introduces several key changes that will significantly impact patent protection and application processes in Indonesia. Key highlights and changes are outlined below. Definition of Invention The new law broadens the definition of “invention” to explicitly include systems, methods, and uses. Additionally, the law introduces formal definitions for traditional knowledge and genetic resources. Patentability Criteria Notable changes include: Computer programs are now excluded, with an exception for computer-implemented inventions. Theories and methods in science and mathematics are added to the list of excluded inventions. Previous restrictions on new uses of existing products are removed. Grace Periods The grace periods for some patent-related actions have been adjusted: The grace period for disclosures has been extended to 12 months (from 6 months previously), providing inventors with more flexibility in filing patent applications after initial disclosure. A newly introduced item is the grace period for a conventional patent application claiming priority rights, which is 4 months after the 12-month filing deadline under the Paris Convention. The grace period for annuity payments is 6 months (from 12 months previously) with a fine for late payments of 100% of the annual fee payable. Patent Holder Rights and Obligations Patent holders can now grant permissions to enforce patents. There is a new requirement for patent holders to submit annual statements on patent implementation in Indonesia. Compulsory Licensing Significant changes to compulsory licensing include: Establishment of licenses based on the principle of expediency. Limitations on license scope and transferability. Prioritization of domestic market needs. New provisions for technical improvements and economic significance. Government Patent Exploitation The new law contains specific provisions for the government’s implementation

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) was once listed as a prohibited substance under the Narcotics Act. Kratom was then removed from the narcotics list in 2021 and is now regulated under the Kratom Plant Act B.E. 2565 (2022), which allows the trading, use, import, and export of kratom. Furthermore, the Ministry of Public Health has allowed the use of kratom in food and drink, food supplements, and herbal products. Anyone who wishes to launch kratom food or herbal products must first obtain a product license from the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On September 4, 2024, the Thai FDA announced guidelines specifically for powdered kratom leaves and kratom leaf extracts (using water or ethanol as solvents) as ingredients in food supplements. These guidelines aim to provide business operators with a clear framework for launching kratom-based food products in Thailand. Key points from these guidelines include: Raw material specifications and standards: Powdered kratom leaves and kratom leaf extracts must contain at least the prescribed amount of mitragynine (one of the primary active compounds in kratom) as a marker of quality. For example, mitragynine must account for at least 1% by mass for powdered kratom leaves. Food supplement specification and standards: Food supplements containing powdered kratom leaves or kratom leaf extracts must not have a dosage of over 0.2 mg/day of mitragynine (including 7-hydroxymitraglynine, which may occur naturally), or 1 mg/day for food supplements containing kratom extracts that use water as a solvent. Addition of 7-hydroxymitraglynine to food supplements is prohibited. Mitragynine content in food supplement products must not exceed the specified dosage limit. Additionally, the food supplement product must be in a ready-to-eat form (e.g., liquid, gel, tablet, or capsule). If powdered kratom leaves or kratom leaf extracts are to be used as ingredients in food categories other than food supplements,

Thailand has released the set of principles that will form the official draft Platform Economy Act (PEA) for a public hearing period that runs until December 15, 2024. The PEA is likely to be positioned as a general or overarching law for digital intermediary services and digital platform service businesses. In January 2024, an early, unofficial version of the proposed law had been circulated among a limited group of operators in certain industries to get comments for the working group charged with the PEA’s development. Now, however, the proposed principles that will underpin the official draft PEA have been released publicly to gather comments, feedback, and suggestions from any interested stakeholders. The principles of the draft PEA cover two main areas: user protection and fair competition. The key details in these two areas are outlined below. User Protection The main regulator supervising the law’s user protection elements will be the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA). The draft PEA is expected to impose user protection obligations on service providers based on their nature, size, and risk level. The principles set out a three-tiered classification system for service providers that will be covered under the draft PEA, as detailed below, ordered from fewest obligations to most: Intermediary Service Provider: This describes a service provider acting as an intermediary between a sender and recipient of information on a computer network, the internet, or a telecommunications network. Service providers likely to fall under this category include cloud service providers and web hosting providers. Intermediary service providers may be further categorized into the following subtypes: Mere conduit service providers; Caching service providers; Hosting service providers; and Other service providers as prescribed in ministerial regulations. Online Platform: This refers to an intermediary service provider offering data storage services that connect various types of users to